Jennifer James Quotes About Giving

• We receive mixed messages about taking good care of ourselves. Love thy neighbor as thyself means to love thyself and thy neighbor. Yet, self-love often is confused with selfishness and conceit. We are selfish when we do not love and accept ourselves, and attempt to take from others to fill the emptiness. Conceit indicates low self-worth and an attempt to conceal it. It is difficult to extend to others what you have not been able to give yourself. Take good care of yourself so you can care about the rest of us.

  Jennifer James

  Confused, Selfish, Love You

  Jennifer James (1986). “Success Is the Quality of Your Journey”, William Morrow Paperbacks

• ¿Qué elecciones haces en tu percepción de los acontecimientos que te rodean? Nosotros elegimos cómo vemos nuestro tiempo. Ahora hay una pizca de pesimismo en nuestra cultura. Contrarréstalo con pequeños actos de optimismo. Recoge una basura que no sea tuya. Muestra un poco más de gracia en la autopista. Haz una donación a tu banco de alimentos. Sonríe a un niño que se cruce en tu camino. Ayuda a alguien que conozcas. Ayuda a alguien que no conozcas. La acumulación de pequeños actos optimistas produce calidad en nuestra cultura y en tu vida. Nuestra cultura resuena en tiempos tensos a actos individuales de gracia. ¿Cuál es tu elección?

  Jennifer James

  Children, Optimistic, Views

  Jennifer James (1986). “Success Is the Quality of Your Journey”, William Morrow Paperbacks

• One of the things that adds tension to our lives is small frustrations. Losing car keys can give you a panic attack. Not being able to find a comb when you get out of the shower, losing scissors and nail clippers, can make you fight with your roommate. The problem is that we think that these things are not supposed to happen to us. And that's what makes us tense. We think we can avoid these frustrations by making ourselves and others be more careful. I like to take the opposite tack-to assume that these things are a part of life and that they will happen no matter what.

  Jennifer James

  Fighting, Frustration, Thinking

  Jennifer James (1986). “Success Is the Quality of Your Journey”, William Morrow Paperbacks

• The impression is that love is something that happens to you like magic. That love is something others do for you, but that you cannot do for yourself. Love is not something you wait for. Love doesn't just happen. Love is something you do. When you want love, give love. Moment to moment, you make the choice whether to give love and be loved.

  Jennifer James

  Love, Giving, Choices

  Jennifer James (1986). “Success Is the Quality of Your Journey”, William Morrow Paperbacks

• People are beginning to realize that self-knowledge is not an end in itself. It's for the purpose of better relationships, so that we can give to our community. You can give from overflow. It's very hard to give from emptiness. . . . People who avoid self-knowledge cause a great deal of pain to themselves as well as to their families and friends.

  Jennifer James

  Pain, Self, People

• Cada uno de nosotros busca la paz de espíritu, pero a veces tememos que eso signifique renunciar a la excitación y al éxtasis. La paz suena a contentamiento, que a su vez suena a conformarse, a dejar que se apague el fuego. En realidad, la paz mental te permite adentrarte más en el mundo y, en consecuencia, experimentar más emoción y éxtasis. El fuego arde con más fuerza, alimentado por la conciencia en lugar de por la ansiedad.

  Jennifer James

  Peace, Giving Up, Mean

• Studies of people who report high well-being in their fifties and sixties indicate that they have lived lives that involved personal risks. They are not people whose lives have been calm and predictable. A life under tight control sometimes produces quiet desperation. High well-being is a life that has depth and quality. Risks, losses, problems, and tragedy add pain to a life. That pain becomes a teacher. We learn; the pain gives us no choice.

  Jennifer James

  Teacher, Pain, Loss

  Jennifer James (1986). “Success Is the Quality of Your Journey”, William Morrow Paperbacks